How to Like Vegetables with 3 easy strategies

Have you ever wondered Why do I hate vegetables so much? Why is it that I didn't inherit the broccoli-loving gene? Am I destined to be fat forever because the lunch-lady ruined me from ever getting within a hundred yards of a broccoli floret again?

Well you're not alone. A lot of people don't like vegetables, and who can blame them? They get the worst vegetables and cook them up with a recipe fit for a prison cafeteria.

If you hate vegetables or want to know how to like them more, then this post is for you.

Vegetable Bigotry

There are thousands of vegetables in the world. Do you hate every single one? The truth is that the world of vegetables is huge and diverse. A world filled with all kinds of flavors and textures.

So you don't really hate vegetables, you hate lousy cooking...

If you went to a high end restaurant, would you expect to be served a steak with no sides?

What about a BLT without the lettuce and tomato?

Kung Pao chicken without peppers?

Pizza without sauce?

Chances are you are already eating vegetables, and liking them. Most likely you had bad experiences that turned you off from veggies, but do you want to let that keep you fat and unhealthy?

3 Strategies for Triumph Over Greens

1. Use your oven's secret setting

Most ovens don't just bake but also broil. If you don't know what broil is, it's basically the grill setting. It produces delicious flavors, fast.

Broiled vegetables get caramelized and develop a crispiness otherwise seen only with frying - but without the extra calories from fat. If there were one cooking secret I want very client to know, it's the broiler.

Quick Vegetable Recipe

You can use most vegetables for this recipe. We like a combination of peppers, onions, and mushrooms.

Slice the veggies and lay them on a baking sheet

Season with salt, pepper, and any seasonings you'd like (paprika, cayenne, fennel seed, etc)

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and mix them all up

Put the sheet on the high rack so the veggies are close to the flame. Cooking time will vary but not more than a few minutes. Keep a close eye if you don't know your oven well, a hot broiler turns food from charbroiled to just char in under a minute.

2. Seasoning

If you aren't used to eating veggies, it's no surprise you will find the taste strange. While tastes are really flexible and will adjust faster than you'd think, it's also important to give your veggies some extra flavor. Unseasoned veggies are just like a plain, unseasoned piece of chicken, or a bowl of sauceless pasta.

Happily, most veggies are also really good at taking on the flavors of other foods. You can think of them as a great low-calorie vehicle for flavors, subbing them for other bland foods, like the aforementioned pasta.

The possibilities here are really endless.

Here are come of our favorites:

Salad dressing: Use olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper for a quick vinaigrette. Mix with tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and basil for a fresh salad.

Tacos and fajitas Shredded lettuce, peppers and onions, and another excuse for salsa.

Fresh herbs. Adds flavor, texture, and nutrients to your food. Just chop up and sprinkle.

Closing Thoughts

With these strategies in place, you'll be well on your way to not just surviving veggies, but seeking them out. Eating healthy shouldn't be about deprivation, it's about finding new ways to enjoy yourself. To ensure your success, be sure to always buy fresh veggies. A wilted head of spinach that looks like a medusa isn't supposed to taste good.

If you want to successfully change your habits, you have to set yourself up for success: buy fresh, tasty looking veggies, organic if you can. When you start with great veggies and learn to cook them right, you'll find your palate opening up and your choices expanding.

Today's Question: Has your taste in food ever changed? What did you do to change it? Please answer below!